People have groused about Joba Chamberlain and Jonathan Papelbon’s post-strikeout and post-save fist pumps and histrionics for years now, but it’s time to add someone else to that list: Jose Valverde. Check out his display from last night’s Yankees-Tigers game, which the good people at MLB.com have so helpfully put on a single, 43 second reel.

Of course, this is not new behavior from Valverde. He’s been doing this for years. Just not on national television against teams like the Yankees. When you dance after a strikeout in Houston, you’re just local color. When you do it against the Bombers: big issue. At least if the multiple references to it in the blogosphere this morning are any guide.

I view this as basically the same thing as touchdown celebrations. If it’s actual exuberance — which is what I think that Papelbon, Chamberlain and even Valverde are displaying — who cares? Silly, sure, but not an offense against nature. If it’s more choreographed and premeditated it’s kinda bush league.

It wasn’t that he was dancing after strikeouts (which was ridiculous enough), it was that he was dancing (and taking off his hat and bending over to pray) after STRIKES!!! Strikes. Not strikeouts. It was unreal. If Joba did something like that, ESPN and the blogosphere would have an aneurysm.

If Joba did something like that, people should have an aneurysm. What exactly had he proven to be before his grimaces and fist pumps showed up on high light films? And in the midst of all these antics, one of the yankees called out K-rod? Come on! As for the rest of the closers, man, I have no idea how you control that amount of adrenaline running through your body. Other folks lift cars off people trapped underneath. A fist pump, I suppose, is subdued in contrast.

Let’s not forget Francisco Rodriguez, he doesn’t necessarily “dance” but he does put on a little show out there. This stuff doesn’t bother me that much, but it is curious that a pitcher can bust out the hokey-pokey and hand jive after a routine appearance, without any repercussion. Meanwhile, a batter that displays anything other than stoicism while rounding the bases after a home run is subject to getting drilled.

So what’s your point? That people shouldn’t call Valverde out on his ridiculousness?
So can you please pinpoint the precise point that this behavior is allowed? How many career “saves?” How many appearances?
Joba only fist pumps after a strikeout at the end of an inning in a big spot. He doesn’t dance and hop and skip all around the mound after each strike. In no way is it even close to what Valverde did last night. He was doing tribal dances and prayer routines after strikes. STRIKES.

Barney, our border collie, does something similar when the garbage truck goes by. The Big Toad for some reason has not yet been told by Mo that he should calm down.
Apologies to Dorothy Parker:
Guys with big asses
Shouldn’t do dances

My point is I don’t care about closers doing dances but I’m not a big fan of Joba’s or any and all attention he gets in the media or the Joba house rules and he looks ridiculous doing it. I probably should have put some more punctuation in that last sentence but I was on a roll.
captcha: angelico me

Damn, he moves pretty good for a big hairy guy in knickers. look out Benjamin Franklin. Anyway I don’t see what the big deal is. Doesn’t anyone from teams besides the Yankees get to do an “in your face” move after pulling off a win? Now to the fact that he was acting up between strikes makes me wonder if he should be on some watchlist or in some institution, but that’s besides the point. who gets to decide which celebrations are allowed or not allowed? NY sportswriters and bloggers I presume……

So really, you just don’t like that people give Joba attention for the fist pumps, even if it’s the guys at NESPN telling him he shouldn’t do it? And while they ignore their own boy Papelbon?
Your stance isn’t making sense. You don’t like him because the media makes an issue out of it. Yet, his fist pumps aren’t nearly in the same universe as what Valverde does. Do you really think that Joba’s fist pumps look more ridiculous than the Broadway and tribal prayer ritual Valverde performs? Come on now.

LMAO!!!!! I’d rather demonstrate for Contreras. It’s going to take more than me showing Lidge my perfect version of the Chicken dance to get him going. And thanks to the outrage of people against tasing I’m in the clear anyway. The worse thing that’ll happen is I’ll get my azz beat by the cops off camera, which is common in Philly.

I dont usually mind pitchers who fistpump or whatever, But when it gets excessive, I do think it’s ridiculous. Just like when a batter stands in the box and admires his home run…kinda like Manny Ramirez used to do.

“I dont usually mind pitchers who fistpump or whatever, But when it gets excessive, I do think it’s ridiculous. Just like when a batter stands in the box and admires his home run…kinda like Manny Ramirez used to do.”
Like otheres have said, it has to be situationally proportionate. When Manny parks one 30 rows back in the CF bleachers at YS, even if I don’t care for it, it’s no biggie. If he pulls one 305 feet down the line, there isn’t much of a cause for celebration.
If Joba or Paps gives it a fist-pump after a save, well, closers are a different species. But much like with Fielder, this smacks of a rehearsed show intended to gather publicity.

You’re not seriously saying that it’s OK if closers do it, but not other relievers, are you?
In any event, you’ve admitted that you just don’t like Joba. It’s clear that you will frame your arguments around your dislike, regardless of whether the reasoning is specious, at best.

If I think it’s bush when Joba does it, I have to agree that it’s bush when Valverde does it.
This is why the pitcher needs to hit. Even if you can’t throw one high and tight and Valverde, you certainly can throw one at tomorrow’s starter in the National League.